Quick and easy white chocolate peppermint cookies recipe, homemade from scratch with simple ingredients. Crispy and crackly on the outside, chewy on the inside. Great for holiday cookie exchanges and they are a wonderful addition to Christmas Cookie Boxes too.
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I made these last Christmas and everyone said they want me to make it every year. They are rich and buttery and have these beautiful crispy and crackly tops with chewy centers, very similar to my Crackle Cookies (Crinkle Sugar Cookies). This time of the year is all about indulging in peppermint treats like this Peppermint Cake (Candy Cane Cake) and this Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha and of course these Peppermint Filled Cookies (Stuffed). They all put you in the holiday spirit.
Table of contents
Key ingredients for best dipped peppermint sugar cookies
- Butter- Use unsalted kind at room temperature.
- Granulated sugar- You'll need this for the main batter and for rolling the cookie dough balls in.
- Egg yolks- Do not put the whole egg in or it will change the whole cookie.
- Peppermint extract- This is not the same as peppermint oil.
- Pink gel coloring- Used to add some extra color.
- Flour- I like to use all-purpose that you likely already have in your pantry.
- Baking soda- This is a rising agent so your cookies aren't totally flat.
- Cream of tartar- This reacts with the baking soda and contributes to a great texture.
- White chocolate- You need be sure it is fully melted for dipping your cookies into.
- Candy canes- Use crushed pieces to add flavor and decoration.
Variations
Make cookie sandwiches- Using my Best Cream Cheese Frosting as a filling.
Drizzle instead of dip- The melted white chocolate on top of the cookies.
Frost the top of the cookies- With Sugar Cookie Frosting and sprinkle some crushed candy canes.
Use a glaze- Like this Powdered Sugar Glaze (Vanilla Cake Glaze) on top of each cookie.
Dark chocolate- Rather than white chocolate, dip each cookie in melted dark chocolate.
Turn these into chocolate chip cookies- Stir in 1 cup white chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips in the dough. You can also stir in dark chocolate chips or chunks.
Oreo version- Stir in 1 cup roughly chopped Oreos in the cookie dough.
How to make easy white chocolate peppermint cookies recipe from scratch?
- Cream together- Butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add in wet ingredients- Egg yolks, peppermint extract, and pink gel coloring.
- Whisk together dry ingredients- Flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
- Dump this dry mixture- Into the wet mixture and mix until combined.
- Scoop out small portions of the dough- And make little balls.
- Roll them in granulated sugar- And place on a lined cookie tray.
- Bake- Until the edges are firm.
- Allow the cookies to cool down- Then, dip each cookie in melted white chocolate.
- Toss some crushed candy canes on top- Of each cookie and let the chocolate set. Enjoy!
Tips and techniques
Do not replace baking soda with baking powder- Because that helps create the crackly appearance.
Don't omit cream of tartar in this recipe- Because you need that to create the crackly effect on these cookies.
Do not replace egg yolks with whole eggs- Because that would make the dough very sticky.
All ingredients must be at room temperature- So that they blend together smoothly.
There is no need to chill the dough- Before baking them like other recipes often do.
Do not over-bake these cookies- Or else the edges of these cookies will become dark brown and hideous.
Make sure to let the cookies cool down completely- Before decorating them because if not, chocolate will start melting and become messy.
Use unsalted butter- To prevent these cookies from becoming too salty.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure not to over-bake them. That will dry out all the moisture. One more tip is to make sure you don't add too much flour.
The dough is probably too wet and sticky, perhaps because the butter has melted a lot. It would be a good idea to chill dough for 30-40 minutes until it's firmer.
Storage
Make ahead- These can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in a container at room temperature or in the fridge until ready to serve.
Room temperature- Store leftovers in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerate- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I would let them sit out a few hours before serving so that the melted chocolate isn't rock hard. Or you can add the chocolate shortly before serving.
Freeze- You can freeze pre-made dough then thaw, bake, and dip in melted chocolate. You can also freeze the cookies after they have been baked and cooled. I suggest dipping them after they unthaw rather than freezing the cookies already dipped.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Fresh Cranberry Cookies (White Chocolate, Orange, Oatmeal)
- Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
- Best Christmas Cookies (Classic and Unique)
- How to Make Gingerbread House
- East Gingersnap Cookies (Cut Outs)
- Christmas Tree Cookies
- Church Window Cookies
Recipe
Easy White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Unsalted, Room temperature
- 1¼ cups Granulated sugar
- 3 Egg yolks Large
- 1 teaspoon Peppermint extract
- Pink gel coloring
- 2½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Cream of tartar
- 1 cup Granulated sugar For rolling cookie dough balls
- 1 cup White chocolate Melted
- ½ cup Candy canes Crushed
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolks, peppermint extract and pink gel coloring and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- Scoop out small portions of the dough and make little balls. Roll them in granulated sugar and place on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until the edges are firm.
- Allow the cookies to cool down completely.
- Then, dip each cookie in melted white chocolate and place on a cookie tray, lined with wax paper.
- Toss some crushed candy canes on top of each cookie and let the chocolate set (takes about 15 minutes). Enjoy!
Notes
- Allow cookies to cool fully before dipping in melted chocolate.
- Don't omit cream of tartar because you need that to create the crackly effect.
- There is no need to chill the dough before baking.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Store leftovers in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Sarah
Just did some pre-Christmas baking, and I made these and your Chocolate Snowflake Cake, and they are both amazing! I was going to post a picture of the cookies because they turned out so well, but I don't think there's a way to do that. I decided to use almond extract instead of peppermint because my family doesn't like peppermint, and it turned out great with some white chocolate and crushed candy canes on top.
Abeer Rizvi
Those sound like delicious modifications! I am so happy you tried my recipes
Marsha
What festive, delicious looking cookies! I absolutely LOVE peppermint!
Liz
These are like the most festive cookies ever! Perfect for a holiday cookie exchange! Thanks for the recipe!
MELANIE HARRIS
Will be making these for my company's Christmas Cookie Exchange! But in going to add Oreos to the mix, omit the food coloring, & alternate between white & milk chocolate for dipping.
Erin
I made these cookies and I love how they turned out! However mine seem to have raised more than the ones in your pictures. What do you think could have caused that? I did double the recipe and add chocolate chips.
Abeer Rizvi
Perhaps you added a little more baking soda or cream of tartar??? If measurements were accurate, then maybe flatten the cookies a little, prior to baking them.
Erin
Great thank you! Also sorry for repeating the question. My phone was saying the first one didn't go through...
Erin
I made these and I love how they taste! But mine raised and didn't come out as flat as yours did, any idea why that could be? I did add chocolate chips and doubled the recipe.